from the store cupboard

I had a tin of carrots living in my cupboard. I'm not sure why I bought them because I'm not usually into buying tinned vegetables. The other night I decided to add them to our dinner menu of pasta (late night dinner after a long day at work). I took down the tin of carrots waiting for some inspiration on how to eat them.....

What transpired was a rather delicious asian flavoured dish of healthy vitamins. Here I kept it rather simple but I do think a dash of freshly grated ginger could work very well.

Asian Carrot Salad

1 x 400g tin of baby carrots

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Dressing

1 tablespoon olive oil

several splashes sesame oil

1 tablespoon soy sauce

dash of oyster sauce

pinch of salt

pinch of sugar

fresh ginger

Mix the dressing ingredients together and test for seasoning. Adjust if necessary. Pour the dressing over the carrots and then sprinkle the final dish with a tablespoon of sesame seeds.

Eat with or without chopsticks - you choose.

the knitters

Look at these beautiful girls having a go at knitting. A group of us got together, some could knit, some couldn't. By the end of the afternoon everyone left home with something accomplished. It's given me inspiration to finish my vest that has sat, for the summer, in my knitting bag.

Waiting for Perfection

I have been waiting for Perfection. And now I'm giving up. Perfection is late and I must get on with things. I have been kept waiting long enough.

As a good friend of mine, Grant Erskine, pointed out tonight, perfectionism is to be focussed on the way or the manner of doing something. I have discovered that this more 'task focussed' style of thinking actually drains some of the fun out of life.

I am henceforth choosing to live Excellently. I will no longer passively wait for Perfection to arrive but I will proactively seek the company of Excellence. I like Excellence because she is already with me. I don't have to wait for her. She is a choice and she lives in my thinking. Because Excellence is being focussed on who you are doing your things for, not on how you do them. I like Excellence because she values people. I like Excellence because she likes to do things a little more than the expected.

So - my blog, in fact my life, will not be perfect. Because lets face it - I'm not perfect (surprise surprise!). I get grumpy when I'm tired, I am impatient when I have to repeat myself and sometimes, (but not very often), I do steal the covers on the bed.

I have made plenty of gorgeous looking and tasting dishes over the long months of my absence from my blog. I wasn't having a complete break down. But because I didn't consider them perfect (well, it was mainly the pictures I didn't like), I did nothing. Perfection never coincided with my inspiration.

So, I'm making way for Excellence. My dream may not be finished being dreamed but I can do what I can excellently as I discover what the meaning behind my passions and talents. I am no longer waiting for Perfection in order to act.

Here are my excellent Speculos that I made for an afternoon with the girls when they came over to knit. Check out the fun we had. Some complete beginners left with some seriously good knitting in hand.